Overhead railway.



. J. IFPT.

01721111311) RAILWAY. 111 110111011 nub-11111.3, 1911.

H 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

} 994,519, r PatentedJune6,1911.

WITNESSES luvsm'bn J/QMa/Imey JOHN rat 2-H; NORRIS PE1ERS c0.WASHINGTON, n. c.

JoHN IFFT, or ZELIENOPLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

OVERHEAD RAILWAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1911.

Application filed March 3, 1911. Serial No. 611,970.

congested districts of large cities whereby the street trafiic will notbe interfered with.

Further objects of this invention are to provide an elevated railwaystructure that is durable, safe and of a simple construction,

and to provide a structure that can be built over canals and waterwaysto utilize the space above the canals and waterways without interferingwith the traffic upon the water or without occupying valuable space uponthe shores.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to behereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, inwhich-:-

Figure 1 is an end view of a railway in accordance with this invention,showing a double system, Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a singlesystem, Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan of a loop system, Fig. & is anenlarged side elevation of a portion of a car and the trucks thereof,and Fig. 5 is a plan of the trucks.

The reference numerals 1 denote suitable foundations or piers,preferably made of stone or concrete, and erected upon these foundationsare inclined side frames 2 and intermediate vertical frames 3, saidframes having the upper ends thereof connected by transverse beams 4 andthe lower ends thereof by beams 5, the beams 4L and 5 being suitablybraced by brackets 6. Arranged upon the beams 4: are side rails 7 andtracks 8. Upon these tracks are adapted to travel ordinary elevated cars9. The beams 4 are connected by longitudinal girders 10, the frames 2and 3 by longitudinal girders 11 and these girders are provided withconfronting supports 12 adapted to support tracks 13. The confrontingends of the supports 12 are suspended from the beams 4: by hangers orcantalivers 11.

The reference numeral 15 denotes a car body having side entrances 16.The roof 17 of the car body is provided with longitudinally alining setsof'apertured lugs 18 and pivotally retained between the lugs of each setis a depending lug 19, carried by a longitudinal beam 20. The lugs arepivotally held by a longitudinal rod 21 extending through the lugs 18.

Pivotally connected to the beam 20, at each end thereof, by a king bolt22 is a strap 23 having the ends thereof connected to the transversebraces 24 of a truck, said truck having arch-shaped side frames 25provided with bearings 26 for the spindles of an axle 27. Mounted uponthe axle 27, adjacent to the frames 25 are flanged wheels 28 adapted totravel upon the tracks 13. The ends of the frames 25 are connected bycurved shoes 29 and 30, and the shoes 30 are adapted to ride uponantifriction rollers 31 revolubly supported by bearings 32 bolted orotherwise connected, as at 33 to the beam 20. The pivoted trucks safelysupport the car 15 from the tracks 13 and these trucks will easily takea curve without subjecting the car 15 to any stresses or strains,particularly when the car body is pivotally supported relatively to thebeam 20.

The invent-ion is not limited to any particular type of car, and whilein the drawings there are illustrated the preferred embodiments of theinvention, it is to be understood that the structural elements thereofcan be varied or changed Without departing from the scope of theappended claim.

What I claim is In an overhead railway, an elevated track, a car, alongitudinal beam pivotally connected to the roof of said car, truckspiv0tally connected to ends of said beam, axles supported by saidtrucks, Wheels mounted upon said axles and adapted to travel upon saidtrack, shoes carried by the ends of said trucks, and anti-frictionrollers carried by said beam and adapted to engage said shoes,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 15 in the presence of tWoWitnesses.

' JOHN IFFT. Witnesses:

FRED ZEHNER, JOHN MIDWYN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

